life span

[suetucker]

We rescued a white lop ear rabbit about4 summers back. He appeared young then. Today, his organs seem puffyand his droppings are sticking to him. I am curious as towhat the lifespan of the bunny is and if anyone knows what might bewrong. Obviously I need to make a call to our Vet.

Thanks

 

[Carolyn]

Welcomesuetucker,

Poor little man! I'm glad you're going to see avet. It sounds like he needs one right away.He maya dirty tail because he's unable to clean himself due to the swellingand/pain. Poor thing.

An average rabbit's life expectancy can be anywhere from 5-10 yearsgenerally speaking, with some making it even beyond that.I've known a fewpeople that have had their rabbits make it to13 or so. The oldest rabbit in the Guinness Book of WorldRecords lived to the ripe old age of 18 years, 10 months, and 21days. There's a link in the Cheat Sheet for Rabbit Care postat the top of this forum as to how to Calculate Rabbit Years.

Please let us know when you get back from the vet. I'll be praying.



-Carolyn

* * * * * * * *

Below was written by our esteemed ARBA Judge, Pamnock, to anotherposter. Even though it's written for a doe, I hopeyoufind it interesting.



Tympanites is simply a distention of the abdomen, which can have anynumber of causes relating to fluid buildup or an intestinalblockage.

In rabbit years, 7 is rather old and it sounds like your girl had agood life. Many older does succumb from uterine cancer, butwithout a necropsy, her exact cause of death will remainunknown. I would certainly think it was age related.

As her heath was deteriorating and she was taking in less liquid, herurine would have become rather concentrated with a high mineralcontent.


Pamela Nock ~ ARBA Registrar

 

[chiquita090]

Rabbits can live 10-15 years if well taken careof. Those droppings that you said are sticking to him might be cecalpellets, they're softer than normal and are usually ingested a secondtime so that the bun can get nutrients it needs. In the wild sometimesfood can be scarce, so after food goes through their body and out theother end they eat it a second time to make sure they get all thenutrients.

I can't really tell you what's wrong though. I have no clue why organswould be puffy. Is he eating? Maybe he has a furball or something andthings in his body are getting clogged up? I don't know though, I'm nota vet. You should take him in ASAP to figure out what the problem is.

 

[rabbitgirl]

Carolyn wrote:

I've known a fewpeople that have hadtheir rabbits make it to 13 or so.

Yup. Me.

 

[Carolyn]

Bub's going to break that record and make it to 25!



-Carolyn

 

[rabbitgirl]

Oh, I'm hoping!!

 

[JimD]

Welcome to the forum!!

Our bunnie S'more developed a poopie butt and it iritated her "organs" as well. She was swollen and very uncomfortable.

We cleaned her up and trimmed her fur a bit, and within a few days she was doing much better.

Cleaning her was the most difficult part. We used warm water on a towelto loosen everything and then spent a good deal of grooming time to gether all clean. It was so pitiful because she cried and whimpered mostof the time we were cleaning her. But she was very patient with us. Ithink she could sense that we were trying to help her.

I was thinking of using a spray bottle to dampen the area to becleaned. Using a wet towel works ok, but I think If I could get the fura little damper it might be easier to remove the poopies that arecaught up in her fur. Pulling at the poopie and fur just seemed tofurther irritate her. Any thoughts on this concept???

~Jim

 

[rabbitgirl]

JimD wrote:

I was thinking of using a spray bottle to dampen the area to becleaned. Using a wet towel works ok, but I think If I could get the fura little damper it might be easier to remove the poopies that arecaught up in her fur. Pulling at the poopie and fur just seemed tofurther irritate her. Any thoughts on this concept???

~Jim

Mild soap. I used Castile, which is totally harmless to the best of my knowledge.

Also, the hiss of the spray bottle always had them climbing the walls at the fairgrounds.

I filled a tub with water, about 2 in., with a towel on the bottom. Gother legs and feet soaking, added soap, and gently eased it off. A smallsurgical/manicure scissors helps too, but be careful, especially withthe boys.

Then blow-dry on low. Older rabbits don't keep up on cleaning as wellas younger ones. Arthritis can keep them from twisting enough to reachthere.

Rose

P.S. I was washing my 13-yr.-old dwarf who had similar problems

 

[JimD]

I was thinking of doing the "wet-just-the-bottom" thing , too.

How do you get to their tushie when doing this?? Gotta make sure it's good and clean!!

We don't handle S'more too much. I think she may have been abused before she came to us.

This last time we made her into a bunnie burrito and then held her onher back. She didn't struggle and seemed to feel secure being wrappedup.

I'm thinking that maybe we'll try putting her in the tub with towel onthe bottom and sides, and a couple of inches of water and she how sheacts. I think we'll probably do this when she doesn't need a cleaning,that way we can stop at any time if she freaks.

 

[Carolyn]

Absolutely agree with helping to clean her up.

Just make sure that the rabbit's fur is completely dry, especially the fur closest to the skin.



-Carolyn